Practicing sustainability difficult? Of course not!

Often there is a world of difference between theory and practice. How to make the transition from model to reality? How to implement a sustainability strategy? When using the EFQM Excellence Model that is not so difficult.

Sustainability
From the very beginning the EFQM network felt ‘society’ needed to be one of stakeholders in the EFQM Excellence Model. And as a result the interests of the public at large have always been part of the values underpinning the criteria of the model. These values, there are eight, are called the Fundamental Concepts of Excellence. In the 2013 revision of the model the ‘society concept’ is titled: "Creating a Sustainable Future".

Good management
The EFQM network always considered the EFQM Excellence Model to be a 'sustainable model'. Implicitly, but also explicitly, society is part of the EFQM model criteria and sub-criteria. And during more recent evaluations of the EFQM Excellence Model 'having a positive impact on society’ has become even more apparent as one of the principles of ‘good management’ according to the EFQM.

Illustration: Ivo van Leeuwen.

 Supply chain
To create a sustainable balance between the interests of companies, people and the environment (people, planet, profit) strategic focus should be directed towards international socially responsible supply chain management. This supply chain approach is also the point of attention in the debate on transitioning from a linear economy to a circular economy, going from ‘take-make-waste' to 'borrow-use-return'. All this goes far and beyond the realized positive or negative impact of the company itself.

Golden combination
Using The Natural Step Framework an organization develops a sustainability strategy with the planet as one of the stakeholders. With the EFQM Excellence Model, consisting of the Fundamental Concepts, the nine criteria of the EFQM Model and RADAR, this sustainability strategy can be implemented. Using the EFQM Excellence Model an organization can develop a culture of excellence, bring consistency in the management style, compare themselves to the good examples of others and encourage innovation to improve results. The Natural Step and the EFQM Excellence Model are therefore sustainability’s golden combination.